296 DRY LAND FARMING 



continued even after the potatoes haVe reached the blos- 

 soming stage. Should the Colorado beetle give trouble, 

 spraying with Paris green will be found effective, using 

 a solution of 1 pound of Paris green to 20 gallons of 

 water. 



Harvesting. The crop is ready to harvest when the 

 tops die, but in dry areas no harm will usually follow if 

 the tubers are not dug until late in the season, as injury 

 from rain is seldom to be feared, which, of course, is not 

 true of humid regions. Thus undisturbed, the tubers 

 will keep nicely until they are wanted, or until the sea- 

 son arrives when the hazard is incurred that they may 

 be injured by the freezing of the ground. The crop is 

 dug: (1) by hand, using a fork with closely spaced tines; 

 (2) by turning the tubers out with the plow and, after 

 picking those that are visible, following with the harrow 

 to uncover others; (3) with the potato digger, which is 

 indispensable when large areas are to be dug. The tubers 

 may be kept in pits or in cellars, but always beyond the 

 reach of frost. The potatoes in the pits are placed in 

 oblong piles rising up in the form of a ridge roof. They 

 are then covered with a layer of straw, and over this one 

 or more layers of earth, according to the needs of the 

 climate. Along the ridge, suitable openings should be 

 left for ventilation. Potatoes in cellars should be kept 

 cool. 



GROWING FIELD BEANS 



This class includes two distinct classes. These are 

 the common field bean and the soy bean. Each of these 

 includes many varieties. The common field bean may 

 be grown over much of the semi-arid area, as it grows 

 on a great variety of soils and under very dry conditions. 

 Moreover, the weather for harvesting the crop in dry 

 areas is almost perfect. The common field bean may 

 be grown with safety in a normal season as far north as 



